Where Tennessee is ranked in the updated College Football Playoff Top 25

There was no change at the top of the College Football Playoff Top 25 on Tuesday, when the selection committee released their third version of the rankings. Georgia remained at No. 1, ahead of No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU. Tennessee stayed at No. 5 and LSU is No. 6.

USC is No. 7, Alabama is No. 8, Clemson is No. 9 and Utah is No. 10.

The Vols (9-1, 5-1 SEC) play at South Carolina (6-4, 3-4) on Saturday, a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The game will be televised by ESPN with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. 

The Vols close the regular-season schedule at Vanderbilt on November 26, a 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff on SEC Network at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.

ESPN’s Football Power Index has Tennessee ranked at No. 5 overall, with a 59.7-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. Georgia has a 95.5-percent chance, Ohio State has a 86.7-percent chance and Michigan has a 62.4-percent chance.

Tennessee at South Carolina, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

There’s at least one guaranteed loss among the top four moving forward, with No. 2 Ohio State hosting No. 3 Michigan on November 26 at Noon Eastern Time at Ohio Stadium. 

TCU plays at Baylor on Saturday, a Noon ET kickoff on FOX, as a 2.5-point favorite. The Horned Frogs host Iowa State on November 26. TCU won 17-10 at Texas Saturday night.

ESPN’s FPI has TCU ranked at No. 16 overall, with a 47.7-percent chance to win the Big 12 but just a 32.7-percent chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Clemson has a 27.3-percent chance to make the four-team playoff field. USC has just a 7.6-percent chance.

Tennessee debuted at No. 1 in the College Football Playoff’s initial top 25 ranking two weeks ago, after its 8-0 start to the season. The Vols dropped to No. 5 last week, following the 27-13 loss at Georgia on November 5, and remained at No. 5 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll on Sunday.

In the 66-24 win over Missouri on Saturday, Tennessee reached nine wins in a season for the first time since 2007. The Vols also went a perfect 7-0 at home, the first undefeated season at Neyland Stadium since 2007. 

Josh Heupel: Vols are ‘a good football team playing good football’

Tennessee scored 14 points in the final six minutes against Missouri, including a 1-yard Dylan Sampson touchdown run with 36 seconds left. After the game, head coach Josh Heupel was asked if he was trying to add “style points” to the win while the Vols keep chasing a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“The statement for us is that we’re a good football team playing good football,” Heupel said. “What the scoreboard ultimately ends up being, and what people down the line may judge us for, we’re out of control of some of those things.

“… Our best football is still out in front of us,” Heupel added. “I am proud of the fight, the competition, the ability to reset. The second half, the way our guys went out and competed in all three phases, it was a good win.”

The 2007 team is also the last Tennessee team to win 10 games, reaching the number with a 21-17 win over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, finishing 10-4 overall. The Vols haven’t won 11 games in a season since 2001.

The College Football Playoff semifinal games will both be played on December 31, in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

The College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played on January 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start on ESPN.